Vapor electric apparatus.



PATEN'IED MAY 12, 1908.-

A. MoL. JACKSON- VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED M10. 9. 190a. RENEWED JULY 20. 1907.

acksofw :Hexanol Witnesses 5 LAW UNI ED STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

, ALEXANDER MCLEOD JACKSON, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOGENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK..

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Application filed December 9, 1903, Serial No. 184,402. Renewed July 20,1907. Serial No. 384,761.

the flow of current takes lace between electrodes contained in aneausted receptacle. Those features of construction with which myinvention is particularly concerned areuseful in connection with vaporelectric lamps but it is to be understood that their utility is by nomeans limited to this one ap lication.

y invention comprises more especlally certam lmprovements 1n theconstructlon of the envelop and the arrangement of the elec,

trodes therein and comprises also a novel means for starting the arebetween the electrodes.

s The features of novelty characteristic of my invention I have pointedout with particularity in the appended claims.

The invention itself however both as to its details of construction andmode of operation will be better understood by reference to thefollowing descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 represents a lamp organized 1n accordance with myinvention and Fig. 2 a

simplified diagram of circuits of the lamg,

In the drawings the envelop of the amp consists of a tube 1 ofanydesired length provided at the top with a bulb 2 constituting acondensing chamber and at the bottom wlth two compartments containingrespectively bodies ofmercury 3 and 4 constituting electrodes. The bodyof mercury 3'is annular in form and is contained between the roundedouter portion 5 of the lower end of the tube 1 and a sort of conicaldiaphragm 6 integral around its lower edge with the bottom of theportion'5' and at its top or apex provided i with a small tubular boreor o ening 7 about on a level with the top of t e mercury 3. The lowerportion of the inclosing chamber for the v.mercury 4 consists of atubular extension 8 having re-entrant walls 9 so arranged-that the spaceoccupied by the mercury is something of the sha e of an inverted i cup.Of these two bodies o mercury 3 and 4 the body 3 constitutes the lowermain electrode or cathode of the lamp and the body 4 a startingelectrode or auxiliary anode: Leading-in conductors at 10 and 11respectively furnish means for the flow of current between theelectrodes and the external circuits of the lamp.

The upper electrode 12 of the lamp is of artificial graphite orothersuitable material and is supported from the top of the bulb 2 bymeans of a conductor 13 loosely sur rounded by a glass tube 14 extendindown to and flaring over the upper end of t eelectrode. The electrode isso positioned that it does not lie within the condensing chamber 2 butis held within the mouth of the tube 1 Where the tube 0 ens into thecondensing chamber. I The tu e at'this oint may be enlarged a trifle asat 15 so t at the area-between the electrode and the wall of the tubewill not be too much reduced by the presence of the electrode. The enlarement 15 however is not suflicient to ena Ie the walls "of theenlargement to serve as condensing walls for the mercury vapor.

The location of the electrode 12 attire mouth of the tube 1 rather thanin the condensing chamber 2 possesses numerous advantages over thelocation of the electrode in the condensing .chamber itself. Thusbecause of the blast or flow of vaporous pa'r- -ticles past the anode,there is ractically no blackening of the adjacent wal s of the tube.Then again the are, not being permitted to expand into the large volumeof the condensing chamber, is much more stable. This ermits the tube, ifdesired, to berun at "a ower current density without instability.

A filament 16 of carbon or other suitable material extends down throughcarbonbushed guides 17 and 18 into proximity to the lower electrodes andassists the lamp to start.

The 'carbon-bushed guides are not of my invention .but are the inventionand are claimed in an application of John T. H. Dempster, Serial No.185,771, filed December'19, 1903.

For the purpose of starting I cause an auxiliary starting arc to takeplace between the two mercury electrodes 3 and 4 at the- 'so is assistedby the conductivity afforded by the filament 16. started.

The heating means whereby the lamp is started may, of course, assume avariety of forms. One form however which I find convenient consists oftwo coils 19 and 20; one surrounding the outside of the tubularextension 8 and one located inside of the extension. These coils areheld by a base or stand 21 and form a socket constituting a convenientsupport for the lamp.

The connections of the coils and of the lamp are indicated perhaps moreclearly in Fig. 2. In this figure the supply mains for the lamp areshown at 22 and 23. The main 22 extends to the anode 12 of the lamp andthe main 23 to the cathode 3. The heating coils 19 and 20, re resenteddiagrammatically, are connecte in shunt with the mains 22 and 23. Theauxiliary or starting anode 4 is connected to the junction between theseheating coils, though if desired it may be connected to the main 22through a separate circuit. The present arrange ment however isadvantageous in that the resistance 19 performs the double function of aheating resistance and of a currentlimiting resistance for the circuitof the auxiliary anode.

When current is applied to the lamp it passes at first through theheating resistances. When through the thermal action of theseresistances the arc is started as above described, current flows fromthe main 22 through the resistance 19 to the auxiliary anode 4, thencethrough the auxiliary starting arc in the envelop, and to the The lampis thus main 23. As soon as this starting arc is formed the main arc inthe tube follows and thereby causes current to flow from the main 22through the envelop 1 to the main 23. This current energizes themagnetizing winding 24 of a cut-out and causes the circuit, both of theheating resistances 19 and 20 and the auxiliary anode, to be interruptedat' the contacts 25. The lamp is then; in normal operation. As theheating resistances cool and the mercury of the auxiliary anode 4contracts, the. growing depression in the tube 7 which would otherwiseexist is filled with mercury vaporized.

This are, im

and condensed in the tube during operation. The lamp is then ready tostart again when it becomes necessary.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,-

1. The combination of an exhausted envelop, main electrodes therefor, afluid auxiliary electrode, and means for initially heating saidelectrodes.

2'. As a'starting means for vapor electric apparatus, electrodes inproximlty to each other, and thermal means for bringing said electrodesinto contact.

3. In a vapor electric apparatus, main electrodes, an auxiliaryelectrode, and a current-limiting-resistance in circuit with the.

auxiliary electrode and located in heattransferring relation to saidauxiliary electrode. L

4. The combination of an exhausted envelop or tube provided with a bulbat one end, and an electrode mounted in the mouth of the tube where itopens into the bulb.

5. The combination of fluid electrodes, one surrounding the other,insulating means separating said electrodes, and automatic means forbringing the electrodes into contact.

6. The combination of insulated electrodes, one surroundin the other,and one at least of which is -Enid, and automatic means for bringing theelectrodes into contact.

7. The combination of main electrodes, an additional electrode, andthermally-operating means for causing an arc to start between sa1dadditional electrode and one of the main electrodes.

,8. ,The combination of a sealed envelop consisting of a tube surmountedat one end by a bulb, a vaporizable electrode at the opposite end of thetube, and a non-vaporizable electrode located'in the mouth of the tubewhere it opens into the bulb.

9. In an electric lamp, mercury vapor, employed as a conductor forelectric currents, an electrode at the up er end of said lamp, mercuryelectrode at t e lower end of said lamp, and an intermediate arcingelectrode, an electric heater adapted to cause a contact between saidmercury and intermediate arcing electrode. 4

10. An electric lamp consisting of a tube, mercury contained in saidtube, an electrode situated above said mercury, an electric make contactwith said electrode and form an arc. I

11. A lamp for producing light by means of electric energy, consistingof an inclosing chamber, mercury vapor contained therein capable ofconducting currents of considerab e' quantity and moderateelectro-motive force, a starting device consisting of mercury, an arcingelectrode above said mercury, and

heater adapted to cause the mercury to g an electric heater, adapted tocause an arc to be formed between said mercury and arcing electrodes.

12. In an electric lamp, an arcing electrode, mercury electrode adjacentto said electrode, an electric heater adapted to cause arcs to formbetween said arcing electrode and mercury electrode, and a cut-outmagnet in circuit with the main tube and ada ted to cut out the heaterand arcing circuit a ter the arc has been established in the main tube.

13. An electric lamp consisting of an inclosing chamber, mercury vaporcontained therein ca able of conducting currents of considerab equantity and moderate electromotive force, starting device consisting ofmercury, an arcing electrode above said mercury, and an electric heateradapted to cause an arc to be formed between said mercury and arcingelectrode, a cut-out magnet in circuit with the main tube and adapted tocutout the heater and arcing circuit after the arc has been establishedin the main tube.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day ofDecember, 1903.

ALEXANDER MCLEOD JACKSON.

